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mona
(02/19/09)
Three cups of tea
I thought that we didn't have real heros in this wide world but Greg impressed me, and he is the true hero! He is my hero, I agree that if you read this book he will be your hero too. This is the best book and he is caring about all the people like the global community.
Carol
(01/22/09)
Learn a Lesson.
For all those people who were too sidetracked by the writing...GET OVER IT. You don't see the forest for the trees! Look beyond and see the story of what a person can do for others. It serves as an example to all of us in this day of the Me First society. IT IS NOT SELF SERVING. I have seen Mortensen on Book TV and on the TODAY show. He is a modest man. I wish more Americans would learn a lesson from this man and others like him. I thank God for people like him.
Taniya
(11/11/08)
Inspiring,but a little biased...and authors need to get there facts checked
I read this book after getting great reviews about it online,and also its story line did intrigue me. Greg Mortenson's story is so inspiring and so full of passion it does motivate me in his lines.
The writing skill in this book isn't as expected from a bestseller - but then I suppose the authors needed to get their work and mission to be put out to people to help them get sponsors. What irked me here in the book was some reference to India being a Hindu neighbor (please do check in with your facts-its a secular country-it has almost 2.5million -3million Muslims,apart from various other religions). I do understand the bias (towards Pakistan) to the Kargil conflict in the book,as they were working in Pakistan and were being informed about their side of the story.
DX
(10/30/08)
Story? Check. Storytelling? Uncheck
Greg Mortenson's story is inspirational and true. We can all agree on that.
The fault that this book suffers from is the compete lack of any writing talent. The book put emphasis on boring details. All the while, quotes from the present day make the book feel like a 400 page newspaper article. It's like they couldn't decide if they wanted it to be a novel or a biography.
Greg Mortenson had an amazing story to tell, and I respect that. However, it seems that Mortenson wanted to write it like a novel, but had a journalist help him write it, resulting in a very poor blend of styles and an overall poor book.
Charlotte Harris
(10/02/08)
The Presidential Candidates Need to Read This Book
Someone in my bookclub found this book and had us all read it, otherwise I might not have picked it up. I am so glad to have the book's information and perspective now, when our country is once again talking of murderous action in Afganistan and Pakistan, and both candidtaes are calling for greater escalation. We all - and they especially - need to be brought face to face with the facts: war in the middle east is morally wrong and strategically misguided. This book, by telling a story of some of the people there, is the most effective teacher we could have.
Thank you Greg Mortenson and David Relin.
bryant
(09/15/08)
Spoiled in the telling
This is an inspirational story of courage, fortitude and persistence in a noble cause. Few of us can say that we leave the Earth a better place than we entered it but Mortenson can. What a pity then that he has made such an error of judgment in choosing his collaborator. To say that the prose is pedestrian would be a kindness; it is simply appalling. Good writing has few adjectives; in this book they are scattered like snowflakes in a storm.
Mortenson would have been better served by a competent biographer than by a hack.
Katherine
(08/31/08)
So Biased
This is one of the most liberal books I have ever read. The story line is great and what Greg has done is wonderful but it can be presented in a different way than how this book has been written. For example, "If we Americans are to learn form our mistakes, from the flailing, ineffective way we, as a nation, conducted the war on terror after the attacks of 9/11, and from the way we have failed to make our case to the great moderate mass of peace loving people at the heart of the Muslim world, we need to listen to Greg Mortenson." p5
In my opinion they can praise Mortenson without criticizing the nation...it was in poor taste and very unnecessary.
Madame J
(08/12/08)
Miss, not a hit
While the message is fascinating and uplifting, the writing is so dreadful that I could hardly bring myself to finish the book.